1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a refillable fluid dispensing bottle having a metering portion controlling a rate at which the fluid is dispensed, and, more particularly, to such a bottle filled with a fluid assisting in the cleaning of a toilet bowl.
2. Summary of the Background Art
A number of types of bottles are used to dispense fluids for cleaning toilet bowls. Such fluids may also contain dyes and fragrant substances. Certain of such bottles are particularly constructed to spray fluids directly into place within a toilet bowl, while other examples of such bottles are constructed to hang within a toilet tank, and to dispense a cleaning fluid that is carried to the toilet bowl when the toilet is flushed.
A number of patents describe fluid dispensing bottles with particular provisions allowing the bottle to be hung in an inverted orientation on the side of a toilet tank to extend downward within the tank so that a fluid dispensing end of the bottle extends into a region that is normally full of water from the tank, but that is drained of water from the tank, and subsequently refilled, whenever the toilet is flushed. The dispensing end of such a bottle includes a float that falls as water is drained from the area of the fluid dispensing end and that rises as water is subsequently restored around the fluid dispensing end. As the float moves in this way, a predetermined volume of fluid stored in a reservoir portion of the fluid dispensing bottle is dispensed. The normal operation of the toilet causes liquid within the tank, including fluid dispensed from the fluid dispensing bottle, to be carried to the toilet bowl. The fluid dispensed fluid dispensing bottle includes, for example, chemicals that help keep the toilet bowl clean, a dye to color the toilet bowl water, and chemicals providing a pleasant fragrance.
Descriptions of such fluid dispensing bottles are found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,398,021, 3,841,524, 3,908,209, 4,066,187, 4,294,369, 4,294,369, and 4,660,231. In each of these patents, the float is held within a metering assembly that is pressed into place in the mouth of the fluid dispensing bottle, apparently before a reservoir portion of the bottle is filled with fluid, with no provision being made for removing the metering assembly from the reservoir portion of the bottle. Therefore, what is needed is a method for gaining access to the reservoir portion of the bottle so that it can be refilled.
A method for refilling such a fluid dispensing bottle is particularly important, since the bottle cannot be made arbitrarily large to hold an economical quantity of fluid. It must be small enough to fit easily along an edge of a variety of toilet tanks, and it must be short enough to be completely uncovered with water when the toilet is flushed. Furthermore, if an ability to refill the bottle is not provided, a new metering mechanism, as well as a new bottle, must be provided each time the quantity of fluid within the bottle is used. Furthermore, since a fluid dispensing bottle of this kind is used within the water of a toilet tank, what is particularly needed is a way to refill the fluid dispensing bottle without removing it from the water.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,787,904, 3,965,497 and 4,916,760 describe fluid dispensing bottles that are used in a similar way, being supported in an inverted orientation to extend downward into the water of a toilet tank. However, these bottles do not include a float within a metering mechanism, and instead use apertures to establish a rate at which fluid is dispensed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,497 describes a gap forming an annular path for fluid flow through an aperture as being adjusted by rotating a threaded cap. U.S. Pat. No. 4,916,760 describes a system of apertures and spaces without moving parts that causes fluid to be dispensed due to changes in pressure as the water level in the toilet tank falls and rises with flushing. While these fluid dispensing bottles include screw caps, the openings that may be exposed by removing the caps are to small to be conveniently used for refilling. Still what is needed is a method providing access to the reservoir portions of the bottles for refilling, particularly if such a method provides for refilling the bottles without removing them from toilet tanks.
Yet other bottles are constructed to assist in manually cleaning the toilet bowl by spraying a cleaning fluid through metering portions that are inclined to facilitate directing a spray to surfaces within the toilet bowl. Such bottles include apertures through which the fluid is sprayed as the flexible sides of the bottle are squeezed. The size of such a bottle is limited by a need to be able to maneuver it within the toilet bowl. What is needed is a convenient method for refilling such a bottle from a larger supply bottle.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a fluid dispensing bottle for cleaning a toilet is provided. The bottle includes a reservoir, a metering portion, and a covering portion. The reservoir extends within the bottle holding a fluid cleaning surfaces within the toilet, wherein the reservoir includes an external opening. The metering portion extends from the reservoir, with the fluid being dispensed through an external opening within the metering portion, and with the metering portion controlling a rate at which the fluid is dispensed. The covering portion is attached to close the external opening of the reservoir and is removable to outwardly expose the external opening for refilling the reservoir.
The covering portion may include the metering portion, with the covering portion being attached to close the external opening of the reservoir by screw threads extending around the external opening of the reservoir. The covering portion may additionally include a cap attached to close the external opening of the metering portion by screw threads extending around the external opening of the reservoir, with the cap being removable to outwardly expose the external opening of the metering portion, and with the cap being attachable to close the external opening of the reservoir by the screw threads extending around the external opening of the reservoir.
In certain embodiments, the bottle includes a hook for hanging the bottle in an inverted orientation, and the metering portion includes a floating member moving with a level of water extending around the bottle in the inverted orientation to dispense a predetermined quantity of fluid through the external opening in the metering portion. The covering portion either includes the metering portion, or, alternately, the covering portion is formed as a cap extending at an end of the reservoir within the bottle opposite the metering portion, so that the bottle can be refilled by removing the cap without removing the bottle from its inverted position within the toilet tank, and by subsequently replacing the cap.
In another embodiment, the metering portion includes an aperture limiting a flow of the fluid through the metering portion, with the reservoir including a flexible side, and with the fluid flowing through the aperture as the flexible side is depressed.